


Feet On Solid Ground

by Lobotomite



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Podfic Available, Pre-Relationship, obligatory tsunami-aftermath fic, set at some point after the tsunami but before/with no lawsuit, somewhat angsty fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21804031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lobotomite/pseuds/Lobotomite
Summary: Christopher is a great kid, and incredibly well-behaved 99% of the time. Unfortunately, the rare 1% of behavior happens while Buck is watching him alone, and Eddie receives a panicked call in the middle of his shift.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 16
Kudos: 552





	Feet On Solid Ground

Things have been hard lately; really fucking hard. The stress and pain will seem to peak, then fall, and then come surging up again, knocking them all back, angry and seething like the waves of the latest fucking disaster they'd been dealt. So, really, ever since things with Christopher and Buck have shown signs of settling down, Eddie has been half-expecting a panicked call from Buck in the middle of looking after Chris.

That doesn't mean there isn't a knife of terror through his heart when he gets it, though.

He allows himself one deep, steadying breath, answers his phone, and Buck is falling over himself with panicked, nonsensical apologies before he can even say hello.

"Buck," he says firmly, cutting him off before the tremor in his voice can make good on it's threat to dissolve into sobs. He's not unsympathetic - it's only his training that has him able to keep his own voice calm - but he needs Buck coherent so he can find out if he needs to join in the panicking or not. "Buck, deep breaths, okay? Important things first. Is Christopher okay? Are _you_ okay?"

"I- I- yeah, I mean, it's not. It's not an emergency, I just, I- he's so _upset_ , Eddie, I don't know- know what to _do_."

The confirmation that danger hasn't found it's way to Buck yet again has him practically melting in relief, shoulders slumping as he lets himself lean heavily against the closest wall. He shouldn't feel such intense relief, knowing that Buck is so distressed he seems to be teetering on the edge of a panic attack, but Chris acting out he can deal with. Chris acting out _they_ can deal with.

"It's okay, Buck," he assures him, ignoring the rest of the 118 going about their normal business now that he's clearly not dealing with anything serious. He may be relieved, but he doesn't want that to come through in his voice; it's a relief to him, but he knows that right now, it's devastating for Buck, so he keeps his voice as calm as possible. "He's just a kid, he feels things big sometimes. What's he upset about? Is it water?" Christopher has been remarkably resilient, but sometimes he'll get frightened at the prospect of getting wet even when it's something he'd been fine with earlier, like washing his hands.

"No, no it wasn't- it wasn't anything to do with that." There's what sounds like a cut-off sob from the other end of the phone. "I just- he knocked over all his legos and, you know, no- no big deal, it happens, but he wouldn't pick them up and I didn't- didn't want to just do it for him because, you're not meant to just- just give in to kids, right? But he just _wouldn't_ and I didn't know how much to- to push and he started crying and- and he said he _hated_ me and he's locked himself in the bathroom and I don't know what to do, Eddie, do I- do I leave? Call Carla to get him? I don't want to make him stay- stay with me if he doesn't want to but I- I don't know who else to call."

He feels awful about it, but Buck's stammered confession lifts the lingering weight from his chest. He's painfully aware of how much it must have hurt Buck, to hear Christopher saying he hates him, but _Eddie_ knows how much Chris loves him. He knows this is something they can all come back from.

"Buck, it's okay," he says, doing his best to keep his voice even and neutral. "Listen, it's okay. He doesn't mean it. He's- he's a brilliant kid, the best, but he's still a kid, Buck. He gets overwhelmed and says things he doesn't mean. Especially after... especially after what he's been through. He's just pushing boundaries, and you're not the only one he's said it to lately."

"R-really?"

"Yeah. Trust me, I've heard it more than once. Even before the- before everything. He doesn't mean it, Buck. He loves hanging out with you. He just doesn't love cleaning up very much, and sometimes all the big things he's been feeling all come pouring out when he's upset about something he can recognize more easily."

"Yeah, that... that makes sense, I guess." He still sounds hesitant and wobbly, but no longer devastated, so Eddie counts it as a win. "Um, should I... should I go talk to him? Or- or leave him alone until he comes out? Should I- I still haven't picked up the mess, should I do that?"

"Don't clean it up for him, Buck. You were right, if he's not having a bad day he needs to learn to do it himself, or at least help you do it. But yeah, if you feel up to it, go talk to him; I'm sure he's already regretting what he did, he just doesn't know how to fix it. And if he still gives you attitude, just leave him for a bit more and then try again. You alright to do that?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Um, sorry about calling you at work."

"It's fine, man. Thank you for looking out for him."

"It- thank you for trusting me with him. I'll, uh, I'll let you get back to work." The line goes dead before Eddie can reply, Buck rushing through his goodbye, and Eddie sighs, thumping his head back against the wall. It's going to be a long shift, worrying about the both of them.

\---

Eddie spends the rest of the day burning to get back to Buck's, but when he's finally actually there, he can't help but hesitate in front of the door. It's not that he doesn't want to see them - of course he does. What he doesn't want is to have to face the possibility that both or either of them are still upset, or that the situation that has been helping both of them so much has irrevocably changed. But he can't stand here staring at the door forever, so he lets himself in - and he's never been happier in his life to be completely ignored by his son and his best friend.

They're settled on the couch together, watching some cartoon Eddie has seen a million times but still doesn't know the name of, and they're so happily engaged in whatever it is they're doing that it takes him getting almost all the way to the couch before they even notice he's there.

"Daddy!" Christopher cries, lolling his head back and smiling up at him - but he doesn't get up, thankfully looking perfectly comfortable leaning against Buck's side.

"Hey. How are my boys?" he asks, wincing inwardly at his wording. He really needs to stop letting his mouth run away on him like that - Buck isn't _his_ , however much Eddie would like him to be. Buck either doesn't notice his wording or doesn't care, though, just answering with a "good" and a wide, genuine-looking grin. Christopher, on the other hand, looks down at his hands.

"I wasn't very good today," he says, shamefaced, and Eddie is filled with adoration so strong he swears he feels his ribs crack trying to contain it. Back when he was a kid, he certainly wouldn't ever volunteer any information that might get him in trouble; Chris has always been a much better person than him, though.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't clean up and then I got mad." Christopher peeks up at him and then looks away again, and Eddie's heart twists in his chest at the way Buck gently squeezes his shoulder in reassurance.

"Well, it looks like everything's fine now. I'm sure you cleaned them up and apologized eventually, right?"

Chris nods enthusiastically, brown curls bouncing along with him. "Yeah! And then we watched Pokémon!"

Just like that, everything is back to normal, Chris happily chattering away while they gather his things and get ready to head home.

"Seeya, buddy," Buck says when they're ready to go, crouching down to give Chris a hug. "I can't wait for your help tomorrow."

"Help?" Eddie can't help but ask, pleased as he is that Buck seems entirely willing to keep watching Chris.

"We're making cupcakes!" Chris announces with a grin. Eddie looks up at Buck, raising his eyebrows - he knows what Chris can be like, sometimes, taking anything other than a firm "no" as acquiescence. After today, the last thing he wants is for Buck to feel forced into a corner.

"Yeah, I, uh... Bobby's been teaching me a bit of baking, I thought Chris could help me try out a recipe. If that's alright, obviously." Buck looks equal parts hopeful and sheepish, the way he always does when he thinks he's overstepped, and as much as it shouldn't make sense, it does. Of _course_ Buck's take away from the drama of the day would be that _he's_ the one who needs forgiving, even though it's Eddie who's leaning on Buck in a manner more befitting a co-parent than a best friend.

"Of course it is," he says, looking Buck in the eye to make sure he hears the _I still trust you with my son more than anyone_ in his words. The dusting of pink and small, pleased smile on his face show that he does, so he lets himself look down at his son, making his expression serious. "But only if you make sure you save one for me!"

Chris nods, but Buck fakes a frown, leaning his weight on his back foot and wrinkling his nose, hands shoved into his pockets.

"I dunno, man, you sure you need one? We gotta make sure we stay in shape in our line of work, you know."

"Oh, I see how it is, then," Eddie says with exaggerated offense. "See if I ever bring you back leftovers from the station again."

"Okay, okay, I take it back." Buck isn't trying anymore to hide his grin. "You're a perfect physical specimen and you can eat whatever you want. I'll even save you _two_ cupcakes." Buck complimenting his appearance in such a sarcastic voice really shouldn't get to him, but a treacherous warmth floods through him all the same. _He's not into you, Eddie_ , he tells himself firmly, pushing his feelings down with an ease borne of practice.

"That's more like it. Come on, Chris, time to go before he changes his mind." He thinks about pulling Buck aside and letting him know they'll talk about everything later tonight - but no matter how he phrased it, he knows Buck would spend the night panicking and overthinking, convincing himself that Eddie is going to cuss him out as soon as Chris isn't there to overhear. So he just promises himself that he'll contact Buck once Chris is in bed - to make sure he really is still okay with watching Chris tomorrow - and shepherds his son out the door.

"Bye, Buck!" Chris shouts over his shoulder, and if Eddie's heart melts into a useless puddle of feelings at the softness in Buck's voice when he replies in kind, well, that's Eddie's business and nobody else's.

\---

"Buck doesn't hate me, daddy," Christopher pipes up suddenly. It's phrased as a statement, but Eddie can hear the question in it all the same, and when he glances in the mirror he sees Christopher's head bowed, hands plucking nervously at his shirt. He's not new to the feeling, but his heart shattering into a thousand pieces hurts just as much as it did the first time he realized his son was hurting and he couldn't fix it.

"Of course he doesn't, mijo," he replies, forcing his voice to sound cheerful and relaxed. This is a _good_ thing; Chris is talking about what he's feeling, working through it almost all on his own, and all he needs right now is for his dad to help him smooth away the last of his doubts. But god, it's hard to treat this as the casual conversation Christopher needs, when all he wants to do is to yank the car to a halt, gather Chris in his arms and smother him in love on Buck's behalf. He settles for adding, "Buck could never hate you," relieved when Chris nods slowly to himself.

"And he isn't... angry," he says with more conviction. "Because... I said sorry. And I helped clean up. And I let him pick a movie."

"Yup. I'm sure he's as proud of you as I am, for saying sorry and making it up to him. It's not easy realizing you said something mean, huh?"

"Uh uh," Chris says, shaking his head. "But you gotta say sorry, because it's even meaner not to."

"Exactly. And now you must feel better, because you said sorry and made it right, yeah?"

"Mmhmm. And because Buck is still my friend."

"Of course he is. Buck loves you." He says it without thinking, and has a second of doubt when he realizes what he said; Buck is great with Chris, but his only real connection to him is the fact that he's Eddie's friend and co-worker. Maybe it's wrong of him, to volunteer Buck's affection in his place? But just as quickly, he thinks back to earlier, to the devastation in Buck's voice at the thought of Christopher hating him, and he knows that he didn't say anything that wasn't true. Hell, he probably would have offended Buck if he _didn't_ make sure Chris knew that Buck loved him.

"And we love him," Chris says with a wide smile.

"We sure do." _Some of us more than we should_ , he thinks regretfully.

"He would still save me."

It should be the easiest one to get through - Chris sounds settled and reassured now, nodding happily to himself and tugging his bag onto his lap to fish something out. It hits like a punch to the gut, though, the confirmation that the disaster is always there, at the back of his mind - and more than that, that Chris thinks there's anything he could do that would mean Buck _wouldn't_ help him.

"Always, bud," he says gently, unsure if Chris even hears him, but needing to say it out loud anyway. Because if there's one thing he can be 100 percent sure of in this life, it's that Buck would go to the ends of the earth and beyond for the people he loves, and his son is at the top of that list. And Buck himself - well. He might put himself at the bottom of his own considerations, but for Eddie, he's right up there with Christopher as the most important people in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are adored, and I'm on Tumblr under the same name if you ever want to drop me a prompt or say hi :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Feet on Solid Ground (PODFIC)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22281151) by [ToughPaperRound](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToughPaperRound/pseuds/ToughPaperRound)




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